Cement block



P. S. RENDOFF CEMENT BLOCK Feb, 4, 19360 Filed May 1, 1935 Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention has for its object to provide a cement block for wall building that is so formed as to provide ventilation throughout all parts of the wall and to enable free movement of air within the wall and prevent penetration of dampness to the interior of the wall. The wall formed of the blocks has increased heat insulation by reason of the reduction or the cross-sectional area of the heat conductive material, namely the cement of which the blocks are formed.

The invention may be contained in blocks that vary in their forms and to illustrate a practical application of the invention I have selected a block containing the invention and a modified 5 form of the block and have illustrated parts of walls formed by compiling the blocks in a manner to obtain registration of air passageways formed in the wall assembled blocks.

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a corner 20 part of the wall formed of the blocks embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the wall shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the wall formed of a modified form of the block, a part being broken away to show a vertical section 25 through the wall. Fig. i illustrates a view or" a section of the wall taken on the plane of the line 6- indicated in Fig. 3 and illustrates the passageways through the wall.

As shown in the drawing each block i is pro- 30 vided with a plurality of openings 2 that extend therethrough and a pair of channels 3 that are located along the tops and bottoms of the blocks and a pair of channels 5 that extend along the ends of the block. In the form of the block shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the openings 2 are cylindrical in form while the channels 3 and 4 have semicylindrical surfaces.

The corner block 5 may be varied preferably using two cylindrical openings 2, and the bottom and top channel parts 5 have portions that extend at right angles to each other to provide continuity of the channels of the blocks of the same course of the side walls of the building at the corners.

45 When the blocks are placed one above the other and in courses, the abutting ends of the blocks form cylindrical openings by reason of substantial registration of the axes of the semicylindrical channeled surfaces formed on the ends of the blocks. The openings 1 thus formed are similar in diameter to the openings 2. The blocks of contiguous courses also form horizontal passageways by registration of the axis of the semi-cylindrical channel surfaces extending along the tops and bottoms of the contiguous blocks.

The blocks are located in overlapping relation after the manner of brick structure, and mortared to tie them together and to fill spaces between contiguous parts. Each of the passageways 1 formed by the abutting ends of the blocks are thus located in registering relation or alignment with the central opening 2 of the blocks 5 of the contiguous courses.

Thus opportunity is afforded for free movement of the air horizontally and vertically and diagonally and according to the exterior or interior heat that may be transmitted to the air 10 within the passageways to produce convective air currents which will operate to quickly dry out the outer sides of the blocks and maintain the interior part of the wall dry. The blocks being formed hollow in the manner as described increases the heat insulation of the wall and thus prevents loss of heat of the interior and also reduces dampness in the wall by reason of removal of the moisture by the air currents that quite freely move vertically and diagonally.

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs.

3 and 4, the blocks 10 have vertical openings II that correspond to the openings 2 of the blocks shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the end channels l2 that correspond to the channels 4. The openings H and the channels l2 may be formed to have surfaces at right angles to each other, and if desired, channels may be formed along the tops and bottoms of the blocks. As shown in Figs. 3 and l, the walls may be formed of alternate courses of narrow blocks l3 that form passageways i4 between the blocks of the courses above and below the courses formed by the blocks l3 whereby the same advantage is obtained by the wall formed of the blocks 13 and I3 illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 that is obtained by the wall illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

I claim:

A wall construction formed of a plurality of over-lapping blocks arranged in courses, the

blocks having openings and the ends of the blocks having channels that form openings through the courses, the said openings located in registering relation with the openings in the contiguous courses of the wall and forming vertical passageways throughout the height of the wall, the wall having alternate courses of pairs of blocks extending along inner and outer edge parts of the first named blocks and located between the top and bottom parts of the said first named blocks, the second named blocks in each course thereof located in parallel and spaced relation and forming horizontal passageways intermediate the first named blocks and extending throughout the length of the wall and communicating with the registering openings that extend vertically throughout the height of the wall.

PHILIP S. RENDOFF. 

